Weekly Ocean News

DATASTREME OCEAN WEEK TWO: 12-16 September 2005

Ocean in the News

(Thur.) Ophelia batters coastal North Carolina -- Although a category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale, Hurricane Ophelia was creating havoc along the Outer Banks of North Carolina late Wednesday evening and into early Thursday as the eyewall of the system moved along the coast. High winds, torrential rain and wind-driven ocean surf accompanied the storm [CNN]
(Thur.) Dolphin roundup to be tried -- NOAA scientists have spotted Gulfport's freed dolphins swimming offshore while doing a damage survey. The dolphins were released when the Gulfport Marine Life Oceanarium was destroyed by Katrina (it survived Camille). The 8 dolphins lack wild survival skills and appear malnourished. [CNN]
(Thur.) Mississippi River is rolling along -- NASA researchers using MODIS images have determined that 23% of the river's water has circulated through the Gulf and around to the Atlantic Ocean off Georgia. The satellite sensors could track phytoplankton from the waters. [NASA Visions]
(Thur.) The sponges are the key -- A Dutch researcher suggests that sponges hidden in caves and recesses of coral reefs are the main player in the nutrient cycles. Their filtering capacity outweighs all other organisms on the reef in devouring plankton. [Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research]
(Tues.) Annual status report of US fisheries released -- NOAA Fisheries Service officials recently announced the release of the "Status of US Fisheries for 2004," an annual report to Congress, which shows that one stock has been fully rebuilt; six are no longer overfished; three stocks are no longer subject to overfishing; five stocks are now subject to overfishing; and three stocks are now overfished. [NOAA News]
(Tues.) The "Manchester Bobber" device developed -- The University of Manchester and several partners have teamed to develop and patent a new wave energy device, called "The Manchester Bobber" that bobs on a large water surface and can extract energy from the water movement to drive a generator that produces electricity. [University of Manchester]
(Tues.) Clues to catastrophic climatic changes upon the ocean studied -- A scientist at Newcastle University and colleagues have been studying geologic records from the Cretaceous Period (approximately 85 million years ago) and output from climate models in an attempt to determine those mechanisms that led to repetitive and rapid climatic change that have had a major impact on the ocean, especially during those times with enhanced greenhouse conditions. [EurekAlert!]
(Tues.) Carbon sequestration in the ocean could be affected by climatic change -- Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urban-Champaign have developed an earth system model that indicates that the uptake of atmospheric carbon dioxide by the ocean and its sequestration in this reservoir could be highly dependent upon climatic change. [EurekAlert!]
(Tues.) Oceanographic campaign to study biodiversity in Antarctic waters -- A biologist from the University of Basque Country is read to join an oceanographic campaign that will study the biodiversity of the Southern Ocean and ocean floor surrounding Antarctica. [Basque Research]
More Continued Katrina coverage -- Two weeks have elapsed since Hurricane Katrina made landfall along the central Gulf Coast.
- The Secretary of the US Department of Commerce announced that his department (which includes the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) has launched an official determination of the fishery failure in the Gulf of Mexico because of Hurricane Katrina. [NOAA News]
- A variety of NOAA teams continue to support efforts along the Gulf Coast in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, including the taking of more than 7000 aerial photographs from a low-flying NOAA aircraft, the surveying of the coastal waterways for navigation hazards by NOAA ships and Navigational Response Teams, the monitoring of hazardous materials releases by the Ocean Service and help in search and rescue by NOAA Fisheries agents. [NOAA News]
- Cornell University has launched a website that permits people involved with the reconstruction on the Gulf Coast and researchers detailed information of the infrastructure of communities in coastal Mississippi as obtained by the Multidisciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineering Research, a consortium of universities that study ways of mitigating the effects on structures caused by earthquakes. [Cornell University]
- The secretary for Louisiana's Department of Wildlife and Fishers recently warned that an inventory of the wildlife habitats and the state's fishing industry following Katrina will show major destruction [ENN]
- The chief of the US Environmental Protection Agency defended the decision to pump contaminated floodwaters from New Orleans streets into Lake Pontchartrain, a major tidal estuary rather than diverting the highly polluted water into the Mississippi River, which flows into the Gulf of Mexico. [ENN]
- Electric power supply experts with IEEE warn that electrical engineers will face "extreme challenges" when they attempt to restore power to the Gulf Coast in the wake of Hurricane Katrina because of the extensive damage to the regional power grids. [EurekAlert!]
- The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences has also launched a website that is intended to provide information to public health and safety officials on the environmental hazards caused by Hurricane Katrina, especially those from contaminants in flood waters. [EurekAlert!]
China bracing for typhoon -- In anticipation of Typhoon Khanun striking eastern China, the Chinese government on Sunday evacuated several hundred thousand people that live along the projected path of this typhoon, which is the western North Pacific equivalent of a hurricane. [USA Today]
Death toll from a typhoon rises in Japan -- Near the end of last week, officials on Japan's northern island of Hokkaido reported that the death toll from Typhoon Nabi that struck Japan had reached at least 18, with as many of 9 people missing. [USA Today]
An ironic forecast -- Planners attending a workshop in Washington, DC at the time when Hurricane Katrina first entered the Gulf of Mexico were studying a report detailing the effects of a fictitious Category 3 (on the Saffir-Simpson Scale) Hurricane Pam hitting New Orleans, which would leave more than 61,000 deaths along Gulf Coast. [USA Today]
Warnings of increased chances of disaster -- Experts warned that more Americans are becoming vulnerable to major disasters similar to Hurricane Katrina as they migrate to hazard-prone coastal areas such as along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts and California. [USA Today]
Improved hurricane forecasts sought -- A national team of researchers called the "Linked Environments Atmospheric Discovery" project have been developing technology involving high-speed computing and network infrastructure that they hope will help meteorologists more accurately track and predict large-scale weather events, such as hurricanes. [EurekAlert!]
Birth of oceanic plates studied -- Scientists at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Brown University and the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology have been interpreting data obtained from the East Pacific Rise as part of the MELT (Mantle Electromagnetic and Tomography) Project that is studying how young oceanic plates form. [Brown University]
Global and US Hazards/Climate Extremes -- A review and analysis of the global impacts of various weather-related events, including drought, floods, and storms during the current month. [NCDC]
Earthweek -- Diary of the Planet [earthweek.com] Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.

REPORTS FROM THE FIELD --

A request: If you have some ocean-related experience that you would like to share with other DataStreme Ocean participants, please send them to the email address appearing at the bottom of this document for possible inclusion in a News file. Thank you. EJH

Concept of the Week: The Birth of Surtsey, A Volcanic Island

In early November 1963, cod fishers plying the waters of the North Atlantic south of Iceland observed what appeared to be smoke or steam emanating from the distant ocean surface. They were witnessing the beginnings of a volcanic eruption that ultimately would give birth to a new island later named Surtsey after Surtur, the fire giant of Norse mythology. Surtsey is located at 63.4 degrees N, 20.3 degrees W or 33 km (20 mi) south of the coast of Iceland. Volcanic activity was nothing new to the fishers who lived on the nearby volcanic Westman Islands (Vestmannaeyjar). These islands as well as the main island of Iceland straddle the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a divergent tectonic plate boundary where hot molten lava wells up from the Earth's mantle, cools and solidifies into new oceanic crust.

The eruptions that produced Surtsey began on the ocean floor, some 130 m (427 ft) below sea level. The accumulating lava, cinders, and ash first emerged from the sea on 15 November 1963. Over the next 3.5 years, episodic eruptions built an island that eventually covered 2.5 square km (1 square mi) and attained a maximum elevation of 171 m (560 ft) above sea level. The initial eruptions were explosive as hot magma interacted with cold seawater producing dark jets of ash and steam that shot up to 200 m (656 ft) above two main volcanic vents. At this time, clouds of ash and steam rose into the atmosphere to altitudes perhaps as great as 10 km (6.2 mi). Subsequent eruptions were much more peaceful, consisting of quiescent flows of lava. When the eruptions ceased in early June 1967, a cubic kilometer of ash and lava had built up on the ocean floor with 9% of this volcanic material above sea level.

No volcanic activity has occurred on Surtsey since 1967 and geologists consider the volcanic island to be extinct with little risk of future eruptions. Nonetheless, Surtsey remains off limits to visitors except for scientists who obtain permission from the Icelandic government. The island offers scientists a unique opportunity to study not only the geology but also the establishment of plants and animals on the island, a process known as ecological succession. For example, by 1987, some 25 species of higher plants were growing on the initially barren island and 20 species of birds were nesting there.

Unless volcanic activity begins anew, the future is not bright for Surtsey. Some geologists predict that the island will be reduced to scattered stacks of rock in 100 years or so. The island is composed of basaltic rock that is particularly vulnerable to weathering and erosion, ocean waves are eroding its shores, and the island is gradually sinking into the sea. Scientists reported a total subsidence of about 1.1 m (3.6 ft) between 1967 and 1991. Compaction of the volcanic material and the underlying sea-floor sediments are likely causes of the subsidence. For a NASA topographical image of Surtsey, go to http://denali.gsfc.nasa.gov/islands/surtsey/. This image was obtained using a scanning airborne laser altimeter.

Concept of the Week: Questions

The volcanism responsible for the formation of Surtsey was associated with a [(divergent)(convergent)] plate boundary.
At present on Surtsey, erosive forces [(are)(are not)] prevailing over volcanic activity.

Historical Events

12 September 1775...The Independence Hurricane caught many fishing boats on the Grand Banks off Newfoundland killing 4000 seamen, most from Britain and Ireland. (The Weather Doctor)
12 September 1857...The S.S. Central America sank while in the midst of a hurricane off the North Carolina coast after beginning to take on water the previous day (11^th). Approximately 400 people onboard were lost, the greatest single loss from a commercial ship due to a hurricane. (Accord Weather Calendar)
12 September 1960...Hurricane Donna made landfall on central Long Island and then tracked across New England. Wind gusts reached 140 mph at the Blue Hills Observatory in Milton, MA and 130 mph at Block Island, RI. MacDowell Dam in New Hampshire recorded 7.25 inches of rain. Although a record tide of 6.1 feet occurred at the Battery in New York City, elsewhere fortunately the storm did not make landfall at the high tides so its effects were minimized. This was the first hurricane to affect every point along the East Coast from Key West, FL to Caribou, ME. (Intellicast)
12 September 1979...Hurricane Frederick smashed into the Mobile Bay area of Alabama packing 132-mph winds. Wind gusts to 145 mph were reported as the eye of the hurricane moved over Dauphin Island, AL, just west of Mobile. Frederick produced a fifteen-foot storm surge near the mouth of Mobile Bay. Winds gusted to hurricane force at Meridian, MS although the city is 140 miles inland. The hurricane was responsible for five fatalities and was the costliest in U.S. history to date causing $2.3 billion in damage. (David Ludlum) (The Weather Channel)
14 September 1716...The Boston Light, the first lighthouse in America, was first lighted just before sunset. This light was located on Little Brewster Island to mark the entrance to Boston Harbor and guide ships past treacherous rocks. This original light was blown up by the British in 1776, rebuilt in 1783, and is currently the last staffed station in the U.S. (Today in Science History)
14 September 1988...Pressure in the eye of Hurricane Gilbert moving across the Caribbean Sea fell to 885 millibars (26.17 inches of mercury), the lowest recorded barometric pressure in the Western Hemisphere. Ultimately, 318 died in seven countries across the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico.
15 September 1752...A great hurricane produced a tide along the South Carolina coast that nearly inundated downtown Charleston. However, just before the tide reached the city, a shift in the wind caused the water level to drop five feet in ten minutes. (David Ludlum)
16 September 1928...Hurricane San Felipe, a monster hurricane, which left 600 dead in Guadeloupe and 300 dead in Puerto Rico, struck West Palm Beach, FL causing enormous damage, and then headed for Lake Okeechobee. Peak winds were near 150 mph. The high winds produced storm waves that breached the eastern dike on Lake Okeechobee, inundating flat farmland. When the storm was over, the lake covered an area the size of the state of Delaware, and beneath its waters were 1836 victims. The only survivors were those who reached large hotels for safety, and a group of fifty people who got onto a raft to take their chances out in the middle of the lake. (David Ludlum) (Intellicast)
16 September 1988...Hurricane Gilbert made landfall 120 miles south of Brownsville, TX in Mexico during the early evening. Winds gusted to 61 mph at Brownsville, and reached 82 mph at Padre Island. Six-foot tides eroded three to four feet of beaches along the Lower Texas Coast, leaving the waterline seventy-five feet farther inland. Rainfall totals ranged up to 8.71 in. at Lamark, TX. Gilbert caused $3 million in property damage along the Lower Texas Coast, but less than a million dollars damage along the Middle Texas Coast. During its life, Gilbert established an all-time record for the Western Hemisphere with a sea-level barometric pressure reading of 26.13 inches (888 millibars). Winds approached 200 mph, with higher gusts. Gilbert devastated Jamaica and Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) (The Weather Channel)
17-23 September 1989...Hurricane Hugo hit the Virgin Islands on the 17^th, producing wind gusts to 97 mph at Saint Croix. Hurricane Hugo passed directly over the island of Saint Croix causing complete devastation and essentially cutting off the island's communications systems. A storm surge of five to seven feet occurred at Saint Croix. The only rain gauge left operating, at Caneel Bay, indicated 9.40 in. in 24 hrs. Hurricane Hugo claimed the lives of three persons at Saint Croix, and caused more than $500 million in damage. A ship, Nightcap, in the harbor of Culebra, measured wind gusts as high as 170 mph. On the 18^th, Hugo hit Puerto Rico, producing a storm surge of four to six feet, and northeastern sections of the island were deluged with more than ten inches of rain. Hugo claimed the lives of a dozen persons in Puerto Rico, and caused $1 billion in property damage, including $100 million in crop losses. On the 21^st, Hugo slammed into the South Carolina coast at about 11 PM, making landfall near Sullivans Island. Hurricane Hugo was directly responsible for thirteen deaths, and indirectly responsible for twenty-two others. A total of 420 persons were injured in the hurricane, and damage was estimated at $8 billion including $2 billion damage to crops. Sustained winds reached 85 mph at Folly Beach SC, with wind gusts as high was 138 mph. Wind gusts reached 98 mph at Charleston, and 109 mph at Shaw AFB. The highest storm surge occurred in the McClellanville and Bulls Bay area of Charleston County, with a storm surge of 20.2 ft reported at Seewee Bay. Shrimp boats were found one half-mile inland at McClellanville. On the 22^nd, Hugo quickly lost strength over South Carolina, but still was a tropical storm as it crossed into North Carolina, just west of Charlotte, at about 7 AM. Winds around Charlotte reached 69 mph, with gusts to 99 mph. Eighty percent of the power was knocked out to Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. Property damage in North Carolina was $210 million and damage to crops was $97 million. The greatest storm surge occurred along the southern coast shortly after midnight, reaching nine feet above sea level at Ocean Isle and Sunset Beach. Hugo killed one person and injured fifteen others in North Carolina. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary)
18 September 1926...The great "Miami Hurricane" produced winds reaching 138 mph, which drove ocean waters into Biscayne Bay drowning 135 persons. The eye of the hurricane passed over Miami, at which time the barometric pressure dropped to 935.0 millibars (27.61 inches of mercury). Tides up to twelve feet high accompanied the hurricane, which claimed 372 lives. (David Ludlum) (The Weather Channel)